Back in June I made a post about a man named Brown being shot by police in East Austin (more here too). I’ve been following the reports, investigations, and leaked memos closely, and it’s finally come to a conclusion, until Olsen, the cop who did the shooting appeals the decision (of course).
Olsen says he was defending himself the night he shot and killed Brown at Chester’s Nightclub. Officers were responding to a complaint about a man with a gun. When Olsen when to confront Brown, home video captured the moment he took off running behind the club. Olsen says he feared for his life when shot a fleeing Brown in the back. Moments later, Olsen shot Brown in the back again, when Brown was lying face down in the ground.
In a memo released Wednesday by Chief Acevedo, he says in part, “Sergeant Olsen claims that Brown had a look in his eyes, like he was going to fight to the death, which is why Olsen says he shot him again … it’s unreasonable to think that an officer can use deadly force because of the look in someone’s eyes.”
“It was that second set of shots that we have determined is outside of our policy and has lead to his indefinite suspension. We don’t see a reasonable threat at that point,” said Acevedo.
The police monitor’s office agreed, saying in a memo released Tuesday that Olsen never actually saw a weapon in Brown’s possession. They also cited dishonesty as one of Olsen’s infractions after he was busted lying in a previous case. The police monitor says Olsen’s contentions of their being a threat to his person could be an after the fact attempt to justify his unsound actions.
–source
Naturally, Michael Olsen is shocked and upset about his indefinite suspension.
“This chief has said I wasn’t right defending myself when I felt a deadly threat from a man who had a gun. What do we have to do? Wait, see a gun, wait to be shot at? If that’s the case, we are going to have a lot officers funerals,” Olsen says.
Except … he didn’t actually have a gun, and the only reason Mr. Olsen had to believe his life was in danger was the previously mentioned “look” in Brown’s eyes (seen from 20-30 feet away at night). Yeah, that’s some weighty justification for shooting someone in the back twice and killing them.
Police chief fires officer who shot & killed suspect
APD Sergeant Fired in Kevin Brown Shooting
Police Chief Fires Sgt. Olsen
APD officer fired over death
Personally, I find myself liking the new Chief of Police here in Austin more and more as time goes on. I had fully anticipated after all the investigations were over, Mike Olsen, a police officer previously found to have used excessive force before as well as lying on reports, would get a swat on the hand and then merrily go back to being a crappy cop. He still gets to appeal the latest decision, so it is possible he will be reinstated, but at least I know the Police Chief did his best to make the right decision and remove a cop that has no business being a cop. It almost gives me hope for a future when I can safely trust the police force in Austin. They haven’t personally shown me much that would earn my respect. After several incidents I have personally witnessed and experienced, I learned rather quickly to fear the police here rather than respect them and feel safe when I see them, and I am your normal law-abiding housewife who isn’t out breaking laws and getting into trouble. Yes, I fear our police. Too many of them have proven to me to be less than what I expect a cop to be, Mike Olsen included.
Here’s hoping he stays off the streets in uniform for good. Maybe he can get a job in Iraq with Blackwater. I imagine he’s the sort of person they would love to hire: someone who can tell, just by looking into someone’s eyes at 20 feet, in the dark, that they are planning to kill him, and who doesn’t have a problem shooting someone in the back while they are running away, and then … shooting them in the back again as they lay there face-down and bleeding to death. Yup, definitely Blackwater material, wouldn’t you say?